About Steve Kazanjian

I’ve spent my career helping creative businesses grow by clarifying their value, sharpening their positioning, and unlocking the opportunities hiding in plain sight.

My background spans executive leadership, brand strategy, and creative direction across entertainment, consumer goods, and venture-backed startups. I’ve worked with global studios, emerging tech platforms, CPG giants, and dozens of creative agencies both as a partner and an advisor. The throughline? Helping companies find clarity at pivotal moments and translate that into real momentum.

From 2014 to 2022, I served as President & CEO of Promax, the global association for entertainment marketers. In that role, I supported over 10,000 members across 65 countries, from network CMOs and studio heads to agencies and creative teams, helping shape the narrative of an industry in transition and becoming a trusted strategic partner during a time of massive change.

Before that, I was Vice President of Global Creative at MWV (MeadWestvaco), a Fortune 500 packaging company. I led global creative across three key areas: key client relationships, product line positioning, and pipeline innovation. My work connected insights to strategy and helped shape how legacy CPG brands evolved, launched new platforms, and engaged customers around the world.

Today, I run The Next [Next] Group, a strategic consultancy that helps agencies, startups, and creative leaders get unstuck, realign, and accelerate. I work through focused sprints, fractional partnerships, and high-impact engagements that bring clarity and momentum to the moments that matter most.

I also lead partnerships at Social Dept, an AI-powered content engine that helps entertainment brands unlock the value of their content libraries by transforming legacy assets into high-performing social campaigns blending AI insight with strategic storytelling.

Over the years, I’ve co-founded ventures, advised growing teams, and helped companies win major pitches, reposition their offering, and reimagine what comes next.

But what I love most is being called into that critical moment when something’s not quite clicking, the path ahead is uncertain, and the team needs a new lens. That’s where I do my best work:

Helping good teams get clear on what matters, and build momentum toward what’s next.